Dubai: Smart bus stops with WiFi, electronic kiosks, minimart and other services have helped improve the satisfaction level of public transport commuters in Dubai, the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) announced on Friday.

Since February this year, the RTA has converted 100 bus stops into smart shelters, offering value-added services including courier facilities and bill payment options for commuters.

Spread across 15 districts, the stops were selected from among the 656 air-conditioned shelters.

A survey conducted by the RTA has shown that the satisfaction level among the commuters has gone from 74 per cent in February to 91 per cent now.

“The initial indicators had shown numerous results including an increase in the number of smart shelter users, compared to the normal air-conditioned bus shelters. The users expressed a great deal of satisfaction,” said Abdullah Yousuf Al Ali, CEO of RTA’s Public Transport Agency.

The RTA revealed that more than 25,000 transactions have been conducted from the smart shelters in the first six months of this year.

According to a source in Al Shamli Foods, the operator of Smart Shelters, the first six months of the project saw 90,000 WiFi users every week and Dh2 million worth transactions through smart kiosks.

Among the services available at the smart bus stops are payment of Dewa and Federal Electricity and Water Authority (Fewa) bills, topping up of mobile balance, paying credit card bills, remitting cash back home, topping up international mobile credit for visitors as well as booking air tickets.

Commuters can also charge their mobile phones and purchase new Nol cards through the kiosks and top up their Nol balance.

In five of these stops — Satwa, Mankhool, Shaikh Zayed Road, Khalid Bin Waleed Street, Al Rigga and Muteena — cargo services have been introduced, while 30 stops have minimarts and 30 others have food and beverage stalls.

The parcel services are offered by LBC Express, a Philippines-based courier and cargo solutions provider, offering UAE residents an easy option to send parcels and cargo to 236 destinations across the globe.

Some of the areas where these shelters have been set up include Shaikh Zayed Road, Al Wasl, Jumeirah, Deira, Umm Al Ramool, Al Quoz, Al Rashidiya, Al Ghusais, Al Awir, Al Nahda, Al Satwa, Al Karama, Al Ras, Al Garhoud, and Al Jafiliya.